David Walsh

I am a historian of American politics and political culture, with a particular emphasis on the history of American conservatism and its relationship with the broader American right. My first book, Taking America Back: The American Conservative Movement and the Far Right, was published by Yale University Press in 2024. I am also a columnist at Boston Review magazine, where I write about contemporary American and global politics. My writing has appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, Jacobin, Dissent, American Jewish History, and the Journal of American History, among other places. 

I currently teach classes on the history of the American and global right and conspiracy theories in American politics and culture for the Engagements program.

I am currently working on two book projects: one is on the history of “responsible conservatism." I argue that “responsible conservatism” is a category created by Cold War American liberalism to legitimate its own politics and create a loyal opposition to ward off challenges from both the left and right. The other project is a history of paleoconservatism in the United States through the life and times of Pat Buchanan.

As an academic advisor, I am a specialist in the pre-law pathway and enjoy working with students to explore their interests in areas such as history, philosophy, political science, sociology, anthropology and religious studies. I believe as a democratic principle that all students should have open access to a classical liberal arts education.